My training life lately has been along peaks and troughs that are not just geographic in nature. The ups and downs of the Port Hills have mirrored my erratic confidence levels. I have been plagued with doubts; that I’m running out of time, I’ll not be ready in time, I’ll not be able to make it etc. And this is for an event that has been postponed a year! The situation has not been helped by really struggling up Kennedys Bush Rd the other day; and  I mean struggled. I had to zig zag like mad and hope there wouldn’t be a car coming! I took this picture at the top but didn’t feel I’d earned it. It was a gorgeous morning though. It was only much later I remembered that I was doing repeats on this hill five years ago, BEQ…the mind has a funny way of storing old stuff. As fellow blogger, Jennifer, has written, the self talk can really impose itself.

On the upside though there is heaps to report. I won a Fitbit for a start, from the conference I attended a fortnight back. I’m having all sort of fun with it. I wrote that story on my fundraising page,  and that fund continues to see the total $$$ rise. I have some more photos of steps for my collection, I especially love the gnarly ones. The hill walking component of my training is a real highlight and I simply love my little adventures. My knees haven’t been quite so keen on the downhills but a quick trip to the physio has put them literally back on track. Like many people I had begun to experience that little kneecap straying out of its snug groove and causing grief. I am also still really enjoying my daily yoga practice and almost imperceptibly I am getting stronger. But amongst all this good stuff I can still feel very uncertain of myself.

This is where great coaching comes in. Fleur, Beck and Richard can all offer a much more balanced and clear headed view of where things are at, and more importantly can remind my of how far I have come on my come back. Its really easy for me to forget that and simply fall back on what I remember I used to be able to do.

Coming up this month are three charity walks though that should take some of the heat off my cycling obsession!

The Pink Star 21km, the Queenstown Marathon 10km and the Summer Starter 10km. I hope to see fellow CPers out these events too.

What did I spy? Steps of course!

It seemed like just yesterday that I committed to running a full marathon, it was actually nearly 11 months ago and we are now heading for the final countdown! It is just over two weeks to go before I can officially call myself a marathon runner.

The Queenstown Marathon has been my focus for nearly a year and it is pretty exciting to think that this massive goal is going to be completed very soon.

My runs have been long as of late – this past weekend I completed the longest run of my training, 35km, it was tough but it was so good to have this run done! Note to self: make sure you put on sunscreen before you set out on your run, even if it is cloudy, because the next day your skin will be as sore as your muscles…..whoops.

I even tried out an ice bath (Richard’s suggestion) after the 35km run – it was very tough getting into the bath, sheesh it was freezing (guess that is the point), but once I was in it wasn’t too bad! I think it has helped my muscles in their recovery. Only time will tell. I do take my hat off to all those professional athletes who do this on a regular basis!

I am now into the taper phase of my running programme – I do have the Selwyn Half Marathon to do this weekend which I am looking forward to, I am aiming to do as close to a 2 hour half as I can! I am hoping that all my training will help in in being able to do this.

The funniest thing is that once upon a time I used to really struggle with running 21km the last 3 was always the hardest, now I can run 21km without even thinking about it and its only when my watch beeps to tell me I have run 21km that I realise that I have! I know weird.

I am looking at my race plan as well as making sure I have everything that I need for the race day! The culmination of 11 months of training and hard work is coming to an end in a few short weeks and I am pretty excited and pumped to do it! I know its going to be hard but I also know that I have done all the work and preparation that I can do to be able to do my best on the morning of the 21st of November in the scenic setting of Queenstown.

Plus I have been waiting all year to get my Ferg Burger…..

And I also have a strange feeling that I might want to run another marathon after this one….something I never thought I would say!

It is now only 12 days until race day or you might say 288 hours or 17,280 minutes or perhaps 1,036,800 seconds. The last of the long runs happened during Labour weekend and it was 28 wonderful kilometres along the Little River Rail trail. The previous week I did a 30km run along Summit Road and Crater Rim. It was the Saturday where the wind was ferocious to the point where mountain bikers couldn’t even stay on their bike with the wind. I set off with Jenn (my directionally challenged partner in crime) and I kept the car keys in my bag as I’m usually back at the car first. Jenn wasn’t feeling so hot at the start of the run so I said I would keep her in sight in case we needed to turn back. What a big fat lie that was!! I took off and didn’t even look back. I turned after about 1 hour where Mount Pleasant Road joints Summit Road as there was a rally on. On the way back towards the Rapaki I was pretty surprised that I didn’t see Jenn running towards me. I then started to feel really bad at the 2.5 hour mark when I didn’t see her and imagined her hiding in the toilets at the Sign of the Kiwi ill and trying to keep warm and sheltered from the wind and probably cursing me. I ran to Sign of the Kiwi and no Jenn in sight. I ran on towards Kennedy Bush track but the wind was so strong it was like being on a treadmill so I turned back towards the car. I did a quick stop by the loos again just to make sure Jenn definitely wasn’t there and frightened some poor unsuspecting woman. Talk about tormenting myself running past the car twice with 8km to go the first time and 4km to go the second time. I finished up and hung out in the car until about 30 minutes later Jenn arrived. While I had stuck to the lower tracks to shelter from the wind, Jenn ‘legs of steel’ Chowaniec stuck to the tracks, got slightly misplaced, mistook a man in an orange t-shirt for me and shouted and followed him thinking it was me then dropped in on a car rally only to be told she would have to go back over the hill as the road was closed. You can imagine she was a super happy camper but it was nothing a pint later that day couldn’t fix! Character building eh!

I’ve found with subsequent runs that I really have trained myself to start taking on nutrition and liquid early on. I headed out on a 15km run last weekend and left my fuel filled drinks bottles on the sink where I had filled them up before I left – blonde moment! It really made a difference to my run. I’ve found taking a sip every kilometre is a good way to get the fluids in. I’m not great at taking on lots of fluids but this is a good way to tip away at it. My watch beeps at every kilometre so it is a handy reminder. Eating wise, I find Nakd bars work best for me when running but have recently discovered a recipe online to make your own and they are great. I can now start eating 30 minutes into a run – something I never thought I’d be able to do.

So here I am 287 hours and 30 minutes away from the start line and the official tapering has begun. This is the part I’m usually really bad at. When training for previous races, I tend to peak too early and taper wwaaaayyy too soon. I see this whole experience as reaching a goal but also a very personal journey where I get to test my body, my motivation and dedication. I’ve learned so many new and wonderful skills, met a lot of interesting inspiring people along the way and have really challenged myself. The last month has been quite busy and it has made fitting in training a challenge but also it has given me a great excuse to explore new places. I spent 1 week in Brisbane at a conference. I took the opportunity run along the river. Even at 5.30am it was 20 degrees and warm unlike warm Christchurch which is 20 degrees with a southerly. The river front at 5.30am was as busy as the Port Hills on a Sunday morning with runners and cyclists. There was the added bonus of watching the rowing crews too. The picture inset is me post run in Brisbane flying the TeamCP flag. It seems that CPers took over Aussie that week with a great showing in Adelaide. I also spent a few days in Wellington at another conference and got one of “those” days in Wellington and got to enjoy running around the waterfront without having to battle a tornado style wind. The taper plan over the next two week is reducing the long runs at the weekend to one medium run and just keeping up some speed work and hill work during the week. I am enjoying this time and haven’t got ants in my pants just yet. For me, it is great knowing that I already have my next challenge lined up with coast to coast and I am looking forward to adding road biking into the training mix.

I look forward to reporting the result of the fruits of my labour in a few weeks.

Thanks to everyone at both Tuesday and Thursday run group who have kept me honest!

Big shout out to Simon – none of this would be possible without your careful planning and rocket jumps 🙂

Over the past two weeks I have noticed ‘the plan’ as it were coming together and have had success on my long runs. For me success is no injuries, being able to maintain a good rhythm during my long runs, positive self talk when running and the fact that I can still walk the next day.

I was lucky enough to be at Lake Alexandrina for Labour weekend so got the opportunity to explore this beautiful part of the country while out for my 30km trot.  I initially ran part way round the lake but after 5km had to turn back as there was a rather curious and large bull that was intent on following me.  I couldn’t back myself to outrun it, so I headed back the way I came (rather quickly!)  The rest of the run was done on the roads around Lake McGregor and out towards Glenmore Station. Very serene and stunning countryside – exploring and soaking up our amazing scenery is one of the best bits about long runs. I had decided from the outset that I wasn’t going to focus on my time, but rather  focus on my form and being present in the moment as I find the more I stress about my time, the less enjoyable the run.  By the end of 30km I was soooo pleased to see the hut we were staying in as I was starting to feel like a little old lady as I hobbled/ran up the last hill.  My time was still quite slow but I enjoyed the run and I had a more even pace and rhythm compared to my previous 30km run.  A quick submerge in the lake soon sorted out my legs and after some much needed lunch we were off for a walk over the hills.   Amazing what your body can adjust to.

Last Saturday I completed the Mission Mt Somers run which is an off road run with quite a technical downhill aspect.  This was probably one of the most challenging runs I have ever done and even though I was just over my projected time, I was elated to finish the run happy and in once piece.  It was a great run to work through pre-race nerves, practice my nutrition as well as being quite a hard work out!

As I have discovered through trial and a lot of error, nutrition plays a huge part in training and recovery.  This past month I have changed my breakfast plan slightly to include chia seed pudding (I know – pudding for breakfast! How good is that!) as well as my usual peanut butter and toast.  I have also started fuelling for long runs 3 hours before which means I get up at 6am to eat – much to the astonishment of my family.  I have found that eating at this time sets me up well for my run.  I am still experimenting with how many carbs I need to consume on my long runs and I find that this varies with each run.

Queenstown marathon is less than three weeks away and before I know it I will be on that start line with thousands of others ready to tackle my BHAG. I am starting to feel prepared mentally as well as physically – after all running long distances is really just an argument between your body and your mind.

With the postponement of my event for a whole year I’ve done some really hard thinking about the elements of my life that are focused on that event and how to make them serve, not only a solo attempt at Coronet Peak regardless, but also taking a slightly longer term view that isn’t quite so obsessed! This way I get rewarded all the time in little ways that make event generated motivation somewhat irrelevant. I love best the moments of adventure and discovery, the views from the hills, the sights and sounds and smells of getting out and about in all weathers.

This week I’ve been along the Summit Rd including the track under the Gondola. I haven’t been up there since ‘that day’. It was heartening to see so many cyclists along it but still a stark reminder of how much so many have lost.

The next day I was hoofing it up the Bridle Path. That’s one steep road! The views are spectacular though even if the sheep look a little unusual. I am guessing this is a particular breed, the lambs sure are cute!

It’s about four weeks since Spring Challenge. Everything has been a little bit chaotic; I’ve had six overnight field trips for class in five weeks, many assignments and not much time to fit in training. I’m finally getting chance to write about Spring Challenge. I raced in the TeamCP Adventure Chicks team in the 9 hour Spring Challenge race with Kathryn Bunckenburg (previous teammate) and Nicole Ranger (new to the team). We had an absolute blast running, mountain biking, rafting and navigating around the 110kmish course in Wanaka.

On Friday we collected our maps, attended the race briefing and were getting excited about the pending race. We poured over the maps checking the course, working out the best routes and highlighting them. We had it all planned – who was doing what, were clear on our team goal to make the top ten, and to have fun. We finished sorting our gear and then headed to bed knowing there would be an early start.

We got up not long after 4am to prepare for the day and were ready at 6am on the start line. Straight off the start line the pace was quick, with the front team still in sight. It was a fast 2km to hit the rafts. We were quick enough to be one of the first few teams on the water. Then the battle began. It was a mostly flat paddle this year with a few other rafts nearby so we were constantly changing places and fighting it out against them. We got out of the rafts after having heaps of fun and ran a short distance to the transition.

After a quick transition, we headed off on the 64km mountain bike ride. We started on some awesome trails around Deans Bank. We quickly fixed a tiny navigation error near the start. Nicole did the navigation on the bike – a great decision as she nailed it throughout the race. Thanks Nicole! J We were surrounded by several teams, which was exciting and kept the pressure on. We got slick at punching controls. I looked after the control card and clipped it while Nicole worked out where we were going next. As soon as I had clipped the card, we were off to the next control.

After a flattish section, we had a nice big hill. After a little bit of hill on the road we had a quick water refuel and were then off again – up, up and up. It was a slog up the hill but also a lot of fun. By this point, the teams had spread out. We could see a team in front of us just up the hill but couldn’t see anyone behind us. We guessed we were at the back of the top teams. I managed to ride some of the hill. Eventually I joined my teammates walking their bikes as it turned out we were still a long way from the top + I had a sore butt! We were slowly catching the team in front. Eventually we reached the trig at 1444m to find an amazing view of hills partly covered in snow, and the team in front just leaving! It was exciting to start riding but disappointing to find that it was difficult riding in snow. Once we could finally ride again we go to blast our way downhill picking up a few controls and got to transition after 6hours 23minutes of biking. On the final part of the downhill something felt weird on my bike and I looked down to see a flat tyre. The transition was in sight luckily so I just kept riding!

After changing into running shoes and shoving down a banana (my favorite race food) we left running for the hike section. Kathryn took over the navigation and since we had two maps I backed her up. For the first section of this leg we were mainly by ourselves or surrounded by 6 hour teams. We kept moving and gained some ground on some teams. With some good navigation we caught up to another team and were near them for a few controls. We ended up with in a bunch with two other 9 hour teams but lost them when we got stuck behind some 6 hour teams on a section of hill with a rope we had to follow.

We came into the transition keen to get back onto the bikes. Our support crew had fixed my flat tyre but my bike appeared to be making funny noises once we got riding. Luckily, nothing went wrong with it. This was the last leg for the day so we were all ready to go hard and smash it to the end. Nicole nailed the navigation on the last leg and we got to ride some fun single track. We powered along the last section, dropped our bikes, I punched the last control and we ran to the finish line to complete the race in 11hours 44 minutes. We were all super excited when we discovered we had finished 5^th place in our category and 7^th overall! We didn’t think we were doing that well – it shows you just have to keep pushing and not give up because you never know what can happen in an adventure race. 🙂

Nicole, Kathryn, Rachel

I was going to write this update last week but due to unplanned events my head space wasn’t where it should have been.  Recently I have become acutely aware of that all-important mental aspect to persevering when things get difficult and the thoughts and the self-talk that goes on in my head can seriously affect my running.

Several things have happened in the past couple of weeks that has reminded me that running/training isn’t always fun and sometimes we need the negative from which to grow and improve. Training recently has become a bit of a struggle as all the important factors like sleep, nutrition, positive mental awareness haven’t been aligned.  Last week I had a recovery week and when it was first scheduled in, I thought ”Nah I don’t need a recovery week!” as everything was going well and I felt good mentally and physically.  How quickly things can change. I thought that on a recovery week I would feel fantastic as the mileage was less, and not so much mental pressure to get out and do a long run.  However it turns out I felt tired the entire week, my legs felt like they had been dipped in lead when I did run, and mentally I was beginning to doubt that I should have ever entered a marathon in the first place!

Another contributing factor to my negative self-talk was comparing myself to others.  I lost sight of why I was doing the marathon distance and ruminated too much about how others were doing.  I asked others who are doing the Queenstown marathon how their long runs were going.  Transpires my 30km time was the slowest.  This freaked me out a little and I started if I had done enough to get myself to the start line. So, this week I have been working on just enjoying being out running and have been managing the negative self talk.

So as it turns out running is not always rainbows and unicorns and that actually training for a big event is hard work mentally and physically. Another wee learning curve for this novice runner!

It’s that time of year again when the magpies see cyclists as imminent threats to their nests and test the qualities of one’s cycle helmet. I was very pleased that mine kept the claws off my head and also showed no ill effects from the repeated onslaughts. I gave this particular individual lots of practice as I was going up and down Hoon Hay Valley Rd. This was Saturday morning as the weather turned abruptly southerly and rained on me as I headed out to Lincoln. I won’t repeat details here, see my everyday hero page, and whilst over there get a load of the new total! I’ll keep shifting the goal posts as long as I can!

This morning I took off early up Mt Vernon on the Dry Ridge Track. Cue another of my growing collection of photos of steps. These were particularly nuggety and fun. I got rained on again but was well away when the NW gale blew through. I should put a big shout out to John Bull Cycles here where I picked up a winter weight cycle vest in their sale. These are excellent for walking trails for the same reasons they work on the bike, big back pockets to stash stuff in, windproof and showerproof chest protection, grippy hem, zip up/down to suit etc.

I began yet another challenge today too. That is ’40 days to personal revolution’ at Apollo Power Yoga. I am already a nearly daily yoga practitioner but I am particularly interested to see if I can integrate meditation and some structured introspection into the mix. I think this will be particularly interesting given that the event I have totally engaged in has been postponed for 12 months. Onwards and upwards, one step at a time!

A few years ago my husband Mike ran the Gold Coast marathon, I ran the Half. We had bought a bottle of Moët duty free and had it waiting on ice in our hotel ready to pop the cork and celebrate our success after the race. Unfortunately Mike ended up on an intravenous drip after crossing the finish line, he had been sick leading up to the race and had started vomiting at about the 10k mark. I still don’t know how he managed to finish the marathon but he did. Hence the Moët for left for another day! But this started a tradition. The Moët Club was born!

So this time next week I will have drank a few glasses of champagne and will be feeling fabulous!! I hope!! The post race nutrition kind of goes out the door and I will eat what ever I fancy. Hot chips are always good. French fries and Moët are meant to go together!

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I still have to run 42.2 k’s first. I have already started my prep. My hair was cut and coloured last week – not going to Melbourne looking shabby! You may ask what has that got to do with race preparation. Well a lot actually. Whilst at the salon the very first article I read was about Geoffrey Mutai the fastest man to run a marathon. He ran the Boston Marathon in 2 hours 3 minutes. I do a half marathon in that time on a good day! Ok so we may be on different levels but I did get some good tips from him, the most important one was to be brave.

Running is all about being brave. Right from the very first time you put on that sports bra or sign up for your first race you are being brave. Running on the road, instead of hiding inside on the treadmill, going for a run up on Summit Road, trying to swallow energy gels without throwing up all require me to be brave. And guess what, I’m actually doing it! Last week I become a member of a very exclusive club – the Ellesmere Road Runners 100 Club, which means I have run around the streets of Leeston on a Wednesday evening for at least 100 weeks. I am very proud of this, as I never, ever would have thought I would run one kilometre let along join a running club. If you had asked me a few years ago or any of my friends if this would happen we would have laughed in your face. Not Pauline, she wont run, they don’t make sports bras big enough, she has massive feet and an inkling for alcohol!

But like my mate Geoffrey I have been brave without really knowing it

I will be thinking of Geoffrey Mutai when I run on Sunday, I know I won’t be breaking any records but I do hope to make new friends on the course and be grateful that I finish without incident (thanks Imodium my new best friend)!

Thanks Geoffrey for reminding me to be brave, sometimes we need to acknowledge that we are doing better than ok. Although, I am glad you are not part of our Moët Club because by the time I finish my race you will have eaten all the chips and drank all the champagne!!

It’s been a really extreme week for highs and lows. High because I’ve reached my first $1000 donated to my mission, gutted because the event I am training for has had to be postponed for a year. I understand the logistical road block (NZ Golf Open) that has occurred for 12 March 2016 but at the same time I am really disappointed too. However there was no decision required of me here, I am climbing that road up Coronet Peak on my bike in March 2016 even if there is no one else there. I am on track to raise the next $1000 too. I thought that Fanfare might be an appropriate picture. I keep climbing stairs, struggling up hills, trying to understand my own head, attend hospital appointments, go to work, practice yoga and just keep going. I can’t stop now. I am not going to stop now. I am still on a mission. Nothing has changed in respect of that.

 Besides I also have to keep challenging Fleur to find more steps in the hills.

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